Broken Fantasy
by warblinginthetardis
Summary: Kurt and Blaine are living their fantasy life in New York. The only thing getting in the way of a happy ending? Blaine's wife. What happens when Kurt is tired of being second best?
1. Stay

Kurt sighed as he lay in Blaine's arms on the couch. Some HBO drama was playing on the television in front of them, but neither man was paying attention to anything but the other. He reached up and kissed his love's mouth lightly before sighing contentedly and settling back onto Blaine's tanned chest.

"I've missed this," he whispered almost inaudibly. He felt calloused fingertips running through his chestnut hair and dancing down his neck. He bit back a groan, knowing that Blaine was just trying to distract him from the subject at hand. He twisted back around to face the other. Kurt could easily cry at how natural and simple it was for Blaine's hands to hold his hips because he knew something was wrong.

"I know what you mean," Blaine replied just as silently. His golden eyes met the others blue glass eyes and saw tears shining, but not brimming over.

"I never see you anymore. And every single time you leave I miss you more and more and I feel like I'm never going to be whole again! But then you come and you're sitting outside my door, waiting just like any real gentleman would or you'll call and use such beautiful words that are like bandages to the holes in my heart!" A few tears began to shine on his cheeks, and more were coming.

Blaine craned his neck and kissed him hard and passionately. He could taste salt tears mingling with the vanilla and coffee taste of Kurt's soft mouth. He felt soft pale hands reaching under his tank top, and he knew round two was upon them. Just as he shifted their positions, a phone began to ring. Loud, harsh, and demanding. He started to move so he could answer, but Kurt's hands were in his hair, pulling him down and securing him there.

"Blaine please, don't answer it. I'm practically begging you to stay on this couch with me and let it go to voicemail." The tears were back in his eyes and in his voice, but there was no stopping them.

"Babe, I have to. It's probably Cassidy, wondering where I am." He extricated himself from Kurt's strong grasp and picked up on the last ring.

"Hey, Cas, I'm sorry I'm late again," he apologized the second he picked up. Even though Blaine was on the other side of the couch, Kurt could still hear every word.

_Blaine, you've been coming home late most evenings for a while now. Is it work or what? I'm so confused! I'm your wife, and still I'm sure your boss sees you more than I do._

"I know, and I'm sorry. I'll try to be better about working over time for a while. I'll be home in less than thirty minutes, I promise."

_Blaine, if there's another woman you're seeing, just tell me. Please. I sit here agonizing most nights. And my sister, Monica, is always telling me awful things I'm sure she just makes up in her head, but still I'm afraid to loose you. I shouldn't feel this way, because I love you too much to let that happen. And once upon a time you loved me too, and I'm afraid that now you don't._ Blaine nodded and sighed, away from the phone where she couldn't hear.

"Nothing is wrong. I love you too. I'll be home soon, okay?" Already, he was slipping back into his jeans and dress shirt as he simultaneously hung up the phone. Kurt couldn't bear to watch anymore. He moved to the kitchen and slipped in his own sweatpants before he began brewing a pot of tea. Blaine came in, looking miserable.

"I'm sorry, love, but I have to go." His voice shook with his own confliction along with Kurt's pain. They understood each other so well it was like their souls were intertwined. They shared each other's joy and pain, gain and loss, as if it were their own.

"'Blaine please. Please call her and tell her the truth." Kurt couldn't look at him, so he chose instead to focus on the window above the sink. His high rise New York apartment offered a brilliant view of the Manhattan skyline, but he couldn't even enjoy it.

"You know I can't do that. It would be cruel, and you know me better than that." He wrapped his arm around his real love's waist and leaned in softly.

"Fine. Then go home, tell her the truth, then come back to me," he pled pitifully.

"It's not that simple." Kurt unwound Blaine's arms from his waist and stalked to the other end of the room, clutching a useless cup of tea in his hands. He whirled around to face him, anger mingling with hurt.

"Why shouldn't it be that simple? You told me you love me, and that you don't love her. You are gay, Blaine. And you know it! I just don't know why you're so afraid to admit that to everyone else and just be with me," he sobbed brokenly. Blaine moved closer and let Kurt bury his head in his neck before gently guiding him to look straight in his eyes.

"Kurt, I'm so sorry for all of this. I never wanted to hurt you, and that's because I love you. God, I'm so in love with you it hurts when I'm not with you. But I still care for Cassidy, even if I don't love her _that way. _I couldn't just do that to her. Not now." Kurt looked into his true love's eyes and was abruptly furious, slamming the mug onto the counter with a sharp thud.

"Then what's the point in you loving me, or me loving you? If you aren't going to leave her, why are you still here? Why are you standing there with your kicked puppy eyes and your too damn attractive face telling me you love me, if all you can do about it is sneak behind your wife's back a few times a week?" His voice rose steadily in pitch, almost to the point of becoming hysterical. As much as he loved and cared for Blaine, he couldn't bear to not know what would become of them.

"Love, if you want me to leave, I will. I don't mean to hurt you. It's wrong and unkind for me to do so. But one day, I'm going to get the courage to leave Cassidy and come running straight to you. And then I'm going to scream to the world from the rooftops that I'm in love with you, Kurt Hummel, and only you. I'm sorry that can't be sooner, I really am." He leaned in and kissed him long and passionate, but still too sweet to bear. He broke away and began to move towards the door.

"Baby please," Kurt begged brokenly "why don't you stay? I don't want to share you anymore, as selfish as that sounds! I'm basically begging for you to just stay here with me and love me and let me love you, and you're walking out the door again. I'm tired of being lonely and without you. I can't bear it anymore. It feels like I'm dying every time you leave," he trailed off in a whisper. "Don't I give you what you need?" Blaine's hand froze on the doorknob and he turned around and caught Kurt's pale, tear-streaked face between his hands.

"You give me everything and more, don't ever doubt that," he reminded him gently. With one last kiss, he opened the door and stepped out. Kurt moved to the kitchen again to retrieve his tea, but curled instead into a tight ball beside the doorframe, letting his tears create small puddles on the tile.

~.~.~.~

As Blaine walked down the hallway, he heard the distinct crash of a ceramic dish hitting a door, and he knew Kurt had thrown his tea at the wall in anger. It killed him to know that he couldn't just walk in, gather the only person he had ever loved that passionately in his arms, and hold him until the tears subsided.

The entire cab ride home, all he could think about was Kurt. How their lips moved perfectly together, how his eyes sparkled when he laughed, how it felt like two puzzle pieces fitting when their bodies and souls met. All too soon, the car stopped in front of his brownstone. He had to put on a mask and pretend like he was happy to finally come home to his wife, when really he wanted to run to the place his heart resided.

"Cassidy, I'm home!" he called as he shook snow off of his shoes. The door clicked shut behind him, the soft noise like the top sliding over a sepulcher. She came around the corner, letting her long sheet of blonde hair out of it's bun.

"Hi, darling!" she called happily. "You're just in time f-" She was cut off by a shout of glee.

"Daddy!" His four year old daughter, Valerie, came bounding around her mother and threw herself at Blaine. He smiled as he picked her up and held her close. She was part of the reason he couldn't bring himself to leave. Kurt knew about her, and Blaine knew he would adore her, as Valerie would probably be taken with him immediately. But he wasn't sure how she would handle her parents splitting, or if Cassidy would even allow him to see her.

"Hello, sweetheart," he crooned in her ear. "Were you good for mommy before I got home?" She nodded and hugged his neck tight.

"You need to get here earlier, Daddy. I like it when you're here, don't you?" Blaine bit his lip but buried his head in her dark curls, so much like his own, so she couldn't see his indecision.

"I'll get here earlier, okay? I like spending time with you too much to stay away." There, that wasn't a lie, but he couldn't say he liked being at his house when he could be with Kurt.

~.~.~.~

That night as Blaine lay in bed, he found himself reviewing text messages sent from Kurt after he left.

_Baby, I know you're probably going to hate me for this, but sometimes I almost think your hate would be easier to deal with than your love. At least, it wouldn't be as confusing. I still love you. Dear Lord, I think I love you too much sometimes. But I can't just stay like this forever, hanging on to every moment with you like it's a life preserver when the days -sometimes weeks- without you feel like million year expanses. I've given you the best of me, but still she gets the best of you. I know that you don't love her the way you love me, but still you go home to her. That's all I want. I want it so much. And that's why it hurts me to do this, and I'm so sorry: Please, please baby, don't come back to me unless you've left her. If you don't, then I understand and I can move on. I just can't live this way anymore. I love you._

A single tear fell out of Blaine's eye and hit the lit screen, blurring out the 'I love you'.


	2. Always

Blaine was miserable. Everyone around him, even Valerie, could see that something was dragging him down to the depths of despair. They could all see how his eyes weren't as bright, his smile not as beatific, and how his laugh was no longer warm and sincere like it once was.

But if he was being completely honest with himself, Blaine knew he was in pure agony. Not that he could tell anyone what truly caused his pain. None of his friends knew about Kurt, and sometimes, he envied them that ignorance. They never had the chance to fall for his charming wit and teasing sarcasm. His peers could live their whole lives without seeing his true smile that only appeared when he was caught in a fit of joy, the one where he actually showed his teeth, and they could be happy. The kind of happy Blaine knew he no longer deserved.

Blaine couldn't share that bliss, because he had been with the best man he could have ever had the pleasure of meeting, and he had tossed him away. He never thought of himself as cruel, but now he couldn't find another word to describe himself. What other kind of monster could break someone as pure and as innocent as Kurt, and just walk away when he heard their pain?

He didn't know how to make it right, but he swore to himself that he would find a way and that Kurt would be his again.

~.~.~.~

The first nights without any hope of seeing Blaine again were hell. Kurt still wasn't entirely sure how he was able to survive. After he had sent what may have been the last message to his love, he walked back into his bedroom, intent on organizing _something_. That was a brain numbing task that wouldn't let his brain deviate. His sobs had subsided, and he wasn't sure if it was possible to cry any more. But then he noticed the rumpled bed sheets. The memory of how happy he had been and how in love they were-or had been, at least-flooded back. The over-shirt Blaine had been wearing lay in a careless heap beside the foot of the bed.

He picked it up and held it close to his face. Blaine's scent still clung to the fabric, and he wasted no time in inhaling the clean, yet heady scent as he baptized it with fresh tears. He fell to bed, all thoughts of straightening up banished from his mind. That night, he fell asleep clutching the other man's pillow and shirt.

~.~.~.~

When he felt as if he could actually face the world beyond his house and workplace, Blaine ventured out to his favorite coffee shop. To anyone else, it may have been some kind of an improvement. He could have laughed at how wrong they all were. That shop was the very first place he had ever met Kurt. He thought himself a bit pathetic, but still he hoped that maybe Kurt had the same idea, and that they would both miraculously show up at the same place, and have a joyous reunion.

He wasn't there. Every time he saw a flash of coiffed brunette hair and pale skin, he whirled around in hopes of catching the man he loved. But every time, it turned out to be someone different, someone Blaine couldn't believe he had thought was Kurt, because there was no comparison. He came home shaking from nerves and exhaustion. He couldn't keep living like this. Maybe it was Fate that drove them apart, and if they were meant to be together, Fate would bring them back to each other. Isn't that how it always works?

~.~.~.~

Kurt knew it was sad, knew it would probably be a wasted, useless effort, but he couldn't resist going to the coffee shop. _Their_ coffee shop. He wanted to see Blaine sitting with a medium drip outside with his guitar just like the first time they met. He quickly found himself lost in that memory, one of his happiest.

~.~.~.~

It was the very beginning of spring, and it was hitting everyone in Manhattan with a sweet sucker punch. New Yorkers and tourists alike milled about, taking in the placid air and thoroughly enjoying it. Except for Kurt. Not only was the line too long at the coffee shop, but he was running late to work, and on top of everything else, he was sneezing like crazy from all the damn pollen in the air. The line began to move again, but the idiot in front of him had to demand all of the poor barista's time by asking where a good pizza place was.

_Idiot,_ Kurt scowled, _it's New York City. There's a pizza shop on nearly every corner!_ Eventually, he was able to receive his grande non-fat mocha and head out the door, only to stumble over an open guitar case and dump his coffee on the ground.

"Damn it, really?" he almost yelled. The owner of the case looked up when Kurt turned on him and carefully put his instrument down as he stood.

"I'm so sorry," he amended quickly before any kind of scene could begin. "I thought I had moved the case so no one would trip over it, I guess I should have anticipated someone like you," he added with a nearly blinding smile. For a moment, Kurt was thrown off guard by the other man's eyes when the pink sunglasses were pulled away. They were an absolutely mesmerizing shade of hazel, with swirls of gold and green blending seamlessly with the tawny browns.

"You think this is funny? I'm already running late and I get a bit crazy without my coffee so I won't be able to function at all today, thanks to you." The other man shrugged and began strumming a few chords on his guitar.

"Look, if it's really that big of a deal to you, I'll just give you the money to buy another. And I'm sure your boss will forgive you for being late." Kurt scoffed.

"I don't mean to sound offensive, but if you're having to play outside of coffee shops for cash, I couldn't just take whatever change you're making to pay rent in some squalid studio apartment." The guitarist stopped strumming and looked up, clearly offended.

"Actually, I came out here to play because it's nice out and I felt like getting out of my _brownstone_ for a while because I took some time off from my _job_. So, how much was your coffee again, and what was it so I can go get you another one?" Kurt blushed, mentally smacking himself over how stupid he was to not notice that the was wearing expensive True Religion jeans.

"Oh, it was a grande non-fat mocha. I'm Kurt Hummel, by the way." The man smiled and stood up.

"Blaine Anderson. I'll go get it, just make sure no crazy hobo or something comes and steals my guitar, okay?" Finally, Kurt thought, a name to add to the breathtaking eyes.

A few minutes later he returns with the drink in hand, and he smiles politely when he sets it down. Kurt takes a few sips, and he can almost immediately feel his mood change.

"Look, I'm really sorry about what I said before. I should probably think before I open my big mouth and offend everyone within a six yard radius." Blaine waved him off as he drank some of his medium drip.

"It's okay, you certainly aren't the first one to think that, I'm sure. However, you are the first one to actually say it. So, not that I don't want to talk to you longer, but weren't you just complaining about how you were going to be late for work?" he joked easily. Kurt contemplated his choices for a moment before answering. He could either stay and talk to the attractive stranger, or go arrange models for a fashion shoot.

"No, I was just being melodramatic earlier. Nothing important is going on with me," he paused. "Unless, of course, you have another commitment you need to be going to. In which case, I should probably go and stop monopolizing your time," he trailed off when he saw Blaine staring with a bemused look in his eyes.

"You're cute when you ramble. But as I said before, I took the day off from my job so I have no place to be for a while." Kurt flushed when he heard the word cute come out. If this guy just so happened to be gay, then his tripping over the guitar case really wasn't so bad after all. They spent the next hour talking about themselves, and when Blaine finally had to go, he gave Kurt his number and asked him if they could meet again.

Kurt hadn't even noticed his coffee had gone cold.

~.~.~.~

"Daddy, I like it when you take me to the park. We haven't been here in a long time, have we?" Blaine looked down at his daughter as they walked through Central Park, hand in hand. She smiled up at him, and it was so infectious he couldn't help but reciprocate immediately.

"I'm glad you like it. And you know why we haven't gone here lately, don't you silly?" She giggled and used her free hand to twist a shiny curl around her finger, a habit she had apparently learned from her mother.

"Well, Mommy said it was because you were…I don't remember the word. It started with a D though. But I knew it wasn't your fault, so I told her it was because of the snow because you wouldn't want me to get cold!" He couldn't help but feel the usual rush of love for Valerie. She never saw the worst in anybody, and if she did, she never believed it. They walked like that for a little while longer, Valerie asking about flowers and trees and people and Blaine answering easily.

"Daddy," she asked when they sat beside the pond for lunch. "Who's that man over there?" He followed her gaze, only to find her staring at Kurt. His breath quickened, and he tried to stop staring. Just in that one look, Blaine knew that they had both suffered since he had left.

"Valerie, c'mon. You know it's not polite to stare," he said hoarsely. She gave him a disapproving look, one that told him she saw straight through him.

"You only do that when you try to avoid something. You know who he is, don't you Daddy? If you do, you should go talk to him, 'cause he looks real sad. Like how you looked a few weeks ago," she added seriously. Blaine sighed and cradled the side of her face gently.

"When did you get so smart?" he asked. She still looked dissatisfied. "Okay, okay! You win! I do know him. I just haven't talked to him in a very long time." Valerie stood up and began to tug on his hand.

"Well if you know him, then why don't you go talk to him and cheer him up? That's what friends are for!" He stayed seated.

"I don't think he would want to talk to me right now, sweetheart," he trailed off. She still pouted down at him. "Okay, we'll go talk to him. You'll be special, because no one else that we know knows him." She smiled once he let her pull him up off the ground. As they began to walk over to where Kurt sat, she tugged on Blaine's sleeve so he would pull her into his arms.

Every step towards the other man felt like stepping into quicksand. When he finally stopped in front of the table where Kurt sat, his mouth was dry and his heart was beating fast in his chest.

"Uhh, hi, Kurt," he whispered when they stopped. Almost instantly, the taller man's back and neck stiffened before he turned around. He clutched his daughter closer to him, almost like a talisman against rejection.

"Blaine," he whispered breathlessly. Any thought that he was the only one suffering vanished when he saw Kurt's red eyes, not unlike his own.

"Look, I know that we haven't talked since I last saw you, But Valerie here wanted to meet you. Do you mind if I sit?" He gestured to the seat beside Kurt. Kurt nodded quickly.

"Of course, sorry. So this is Valerie?" he asked, eyebrows raised. Never once did he imagine that he would ever have the opportunity to meet Blaine's daughter. It was always sort of a fantasy to him, meeting her. Something that would only happen when Blaine let go of his fears. But now, she was right in front of him.

"Yeah, this is her. Valerie, say hi. You were the one that was so interested in coming over here," he teased. She lifted her head off of his shoulder to stick her tongue out at her father before turning to Kurt and waving.

"Daddy, set me down, please," she asked quietly. Once he put her on the bench, she immediately moved to sit beside Kurt.

"Val!" Blaine exclaimed jokingly "You don't want to sit beside me? I'm wounded!" He clutched his heart, earning giggles from the other two. She ignored him, choosing instead to turn towards the handsome stranger.

"You seem really nice," she observed after a few minutes of watching him watch her father. He jumped slightly when she spoke. So far, he and Blaine had been having a silent, mutual apology fest.

"Well thank you, people normally don't tell me that, so it's nice to hear. And you," he added as she picked at her purple tights, "are much prettier than your daddy let on." Blaine snorted dismissively.

"Are you kidding? I described her in perfect detail! Why is everyone ganging up on me today?" Valerie wrinkled her nose at Blaine and smiled. They spent the next hour talking, not even noticing the changing light.

Blaine was kind of amazed that Valerie took to Kurt as easily as she did. It was such an amazing experience to see the love of his life and his daughter talking and joking with each other, almost as if they were good friends and not a five year old and a twenty seven year old. As he watched, he noticed Valerie fighting tired yawns.

"Tired, Val?" he asked as her eyelids began to droop. She shook her head weakly, trying to fight the impending sleep.

"No, I want to stay here and talk to Kurt some more." Both men looked up at each other, and their eyes lit up like stars. Now that Valerie liked Kurt, that was one worry out of the way for Blaine. The next step would be to come out to Cassidy and get a divorce, then they could really be together

"It's okay, Valerie," Kurt assured her quickly "We'll see each other again soon, I'm sure." As he gathered the nearly asleep girl into his arms, Blaine smiled and nodded, reassuring him that they would see each other again.

"So, Kurt, will you do us the honor of walking with me out of here?" Blaine asked quickly, bracing himself for a no.

"Of course. I should probably get going as well." They smiled shyly at each other as they began walking out under the orange sun.

"I'm really happy Valerie saw you today. I had almost given up on ever being able to see you again." Blaine looked over at Kurt, only to see him staring back.

"I'm really glad she did too. She's just as perfect as you described. She looks just like you." He glanced away, and they both knew he was dancing around the big white elephant between them.

"Kurt, you have to hear me out, because I'm afraid this is going to be my last opportunity to see you if I don't say it now. I never wanted to give up on you, ever. The only reason I didn't turn up on your doorstep was because I knew you would hate me if I did. I wanted you to get over me and to find someone who could love you the way you deserve to be loved. But I knew that there was no way I would ever forget the way that I feel when I'm with you.

"And then Valerie here points you out to me and it's like everything I had done was in vain. I had to at least try to talk to you, even if it was just to hear you tell me you hated me, or that you had found someone else. But all you did was smile at me like the first day we met. And Valerie loves you so much, already. I've never seen her so taken with anybody else."

"Well I can't help but be loveable, sorry," he quipped. Blaine broke into silent chuckles so he wouldn't disturb the sleeping girl in his arms. "But it was kind of a useless effort on your part, trying to make me get over you. I'm already so in love with you, Blaine." He shifted the girl in his arms so he could reach down and twine their fingers together.

"Tonight," he said solemnly "I'm going to tell her everything, and then I'm coming to your apartment. It probably won't be with Valerie, but I will come, I promise." They had come to the exit. Kurt twined his arms around the shorter man's neck and leaned in until their noses touched.

"Okay," he breathed. "I'll wait for you, I promise. I love you." They leaned in just a few more centimeters until their lips met.

Neither noticed the camera flash or the menacing smile of the person who held it.


	3. The Real You

**So, I'm going to ask that people really read this author's note. Normally, they aren't a big deal for me, so I just don't feel the need to badger you readers with my comments. But, for anyone who has a problem with reading about panic attacks or emotional fights, this chapter probably isn't for you. It's very heavy. I'm not sure if this could be counted as a 'trigger', but just in case. If this is a problem, I can always send you a brief synopsis of this chapter if you're really interested but just can't read this version for whatever reason. With that being said, ** **enjoy this chapter and maybe break out a box of tissues.**

The entire cab ride home, Blaine couldn't keep the wide smile off of his face. He had Valerie in his arms, and in a few hours, he would have Kurt. The thought of the two -no, three because he couldn't just forget his daughter- brought him so much happiness that he wasn't even sure his heart could bear it.

The moment the car stopped in front of his house, he could feel the smile slowly breaking and sliding off of his face. He saw Monica's car, the only personal vehicle on the street, sitting in front of it. Unlike the rest of Cassidy's family, Blaine and Monica just never could see eye to eye on anything, much less get along very well. She used every opportunity to insult him, and to insinuate that there was someone better for her 'darling sister'. She was harsh, manipulating, and just plain cruel, and there could be no good reason for why she was there.

Unlike every other time he had arrived home after his wife, the entire house was silent. The television made no sound, music wasn't being played on the stereo, and he couldn't hear her fixing something in the kitchen. Never a good sign.

"Cas?" he called hesitantly. "I'm home." He slowly rounded the corner to the living room to see his wife and sister-in-law on the couch. He heard soft cries coming from his wife's end and he walked closer.

Not completely out of character, Monica yelled, "Don't come any closer to her, idiot. Can't you see she's crying already?" She rolled her eyes and sniffed before patting her sister lightly on the shoulder. Now it was Blaine's turn to roll his eyes. Monica _never_ touched anyone unless she was trying to get her way.

"Monica, I honestly don't care about your personal opinion of my intellect. Last time I checked, you are none of my concern, and I was asking Cassidy what was wrong, not you," he replied scathingly.

"How long has this been going on, Blaine," his wife asked as she turned toward the bickering pair. She toyed with a camera in he hand. He didn't answer immediately, so she asked again.

"I really can't tell you, seeing as how I have no idea what you're talking about, Cassidy," he replied slowly. Even as he answered, he still thought he knew what was on the small screen. She shoved the camera right up into his face, and he stared at him and Kurt kissing in Central Park.

He began to sputter. "Wh-Where did you find that?" She tossed the camera aside and buried her head in her hands.

"You aren't even trying to explain yourself!" Monica cut it before anyone else could get a word in. "Seriously, you have no explanation for yourself. What the hell is wrong with you?" Blaine pinched the bridge of his nose, still keeping tabs on Valerie, who was still mercifully sleeping in his arms.

"Who is he," the crying woman asked. She worked her skinny fingers through her hair nervously, afraid of what his answer would be. He sighed.

"A year. I've been with him for one year. Cassidy, I didn't want you to find out this way. Believe me, I never wanted to hurt you, but I couldn't be faithful to you because I don't love you _that_ way. And I know that it's still wrong of me to do this to you, but now you have the opportunity to have someone fall in love with you that can truly be with you and love you. Unfortunately, that just isn't me, and I don't know if I can really tell you it was ever me.

"I think I've just been delaying figuring out who I really am for a long time. Too long, to be honest. And I'm sick of lying to everyone about myself. Especially the people I love: Even though it probably doesn't seem like it now, I really do care about you," his voice broke at the end, but still he knew he said everything he had planned. He glanced up from his shaking hands to look at his wife. She stared at him, tears in her eyes and a faint, sad smile playing on her lips.

"Oh hell no you aren't," Monica shouted. "I know that look on your face, Cassidy! You're just going to take this sad little story, forgive him, and let him waltz right out of here to be with that-that thing!" Blaine immediately whirled around to face her. His jaw set dangerously, and his eyes flashed behind the veil of tears.

"Don't you dare call Kurt a _thing_. He's a more decent person than you could ever be." All he really wanted to do was shout, but so far the little angel in his arms slept through the ordeal, and he wasn't going to be the one to wake her up. She scoffed.

"Oh please." She turned to her sister. "Did you see that he's with Valerie? Hmm? So your daughter was with them today when all of this happened. And this is the only time we really know about." They could both see the blonde seize up and turn abruptly.

"Valerie saw you with someone else? Someone that isn't me? Someone that isn't even a _woman_?" she screeched. Yeah, that pretty much did it right there.

"Listen-" he whispered as he tried to grab her wrist. She snatched it away when his guitar-calloused fingertips brushed the skin.

"Don't touch me! I want you out of this house now. Put _my_ daughter down, and leave. I don't care where you go or who you see. Just know that if this guy is really your choice, you are _never_ going to see her again," she threatened as her sister chortled silently. Blaine gaped. Never once did he assume that she would be this way. Not that he was expecting her to be perfectly okay, but he thought she was better than to endanger his relationship with his only daughter.

"Are you forgetting that she's my daughter as well? You can't keep me from seeing her, you know that. Not everyone is close minded now." She laughed, high pitched and hysterical.

"Oh please, Blaine, use your brain for once in your damn life! There are _plenty_ of people who are going to side with me. Your father among them. He'll help me in any way he can to ensure that some _fag_ will get his granddaughter." Blaine flinched because of the word, but then what she really said got through to him. She continued despite his tortured face. "So you'll be left without a daughter, without a father, without a wife, and you'll be ostracized by all of your friends. Congratulations. Now, get out of my house. Put her down, and walk out the door." He bit his lip, warring with himself. He didn't just want to leave Valerie with no explanation for why he was gone, but he would have a better chance of getting to see her if he cooperated for the moment. With a heavy heart, he placed her gently on the couch and brushed her curls away from her innocent face. He stayed like that for a minute, just cradling her face or stroking her hair, until Monica shouted at him to get a move on.

He moved towards the bedroom and threw a few changes of clothes and other essentials into a duffel bag, his hands shaking the whole time. His breathing sped, and his heart began thumping wildly in his chest. Without even thinking, he grabbed the bottle of anti-anxiety medication from the bedside table and took one, just to feel a little more in control. The sound of the zipper closing seemed to echo in the room and in his mind. When he walked back out, Valerie was awake. She smiled when she saw him, and it was all he could do to not break out in tears at the sight.

"Daddy, why do you have a bag. Where are you going?" she asked, an adorable, frustrated furrow between her eyes as she tried to figure the mess out.

"Daddy's, um, I have to go, sweetheart," he said quietly, his voice thick with tears. She cocked her head to the side, still not sure of what he meant. She looked from him, to the bag, then back again.

"Where are you going? Can you tell me?" He laughed, a tired sad sound and nodded.

"I'm going to Kurt's apartment. Remember, the nice man you met in the park today?" She nodded and smiled.

"Yes! I liked him, he was nice. So can I come. Please?" He shook his head and kneeled in front of her. He wasn't entirely sure how he was supposed to tell her that he wouldn't be able to come back, not her and Cassidy like he had just the day before.

"No, sweetheart, I'm sorry. Not tonight, okay." She pouted, but shrugged.

"Okay, so when are you coming back? 'Cause I can't go to sleep unless you read me a bed time story and then sing me a song," she told him quite matter-of-factly. He choked down a soft sob as he took her small, olive hands between his own and looked into her blue eyes.

"I can't come back tonight. I'm going to be staying at Kurt's place from now on. I won't be able to read to you for a few nights. So be a good girl and let mommy read to you until I can see you again, okay sweetheart?" She shook her head vehemently.

"No. I don't like it when mommy reads, 'cause she doesn't do the voices like you. But why can't you come back? Don't you want to be with me anymore?" Her lower lip trembled, and a tear slipped out of her eye.

"Of course I want to be with you! Don't you ever doubt that," he exclaimed as tears of his own began streaming freely down his cheeks. "But mommy and I…we aren't going to be together any more. I'll be with Kurt, because I love him." She nodded, as if she understood everything he was saying.

"Well yeah, I knew that. You and Kurt looked at each other like Cameron's daddies do today." She noticed the tears glistening in her father's eyes. "Why are you crying, daddy? We're still going to be together." He nodded weakly, still crying because he knew she didn't completely understand.

"Of course we are. Just not tonight, because I have to go now, okay?" He stood up and kissed her on the forehead and whispered that he loved her into her skin.

"But I'm coming with you daddy. I want to stay with you!" She began to cry freely now as she held on his bag's straps. From inside the kitchen, Blaine heard a dish smash, and he knew Cassidy and Monica were listening to the whole thing.

"Valerie," her mother called. "Let your father go. He won't be coming here anymore, so say goodbye and let him leave." Both father and daughter looked over to her, identical masks of shock on their faces. Never once had she been so cold toward her.

"No! Daddy can't leave. Not without me." Blaine picked her up and held her close, letting her cling to his neck and hold on for dear life.

He didn't let go until her Cassidy's cold fingers pulled her away. She began to struggle, trying to get back to his warm embrace.

"No! No, you can't make daddy leave! Mommy, you aren't being fair! Please, please don't make him leave." Blaine couldn't even see as he opened the front door through his tears. Even as the door closed, he could still hear her screams of protest. Mercifully, a cab happened to pass by and let him in. He told the driver Kurt's address then sunk back onto the uncomfortable seat. Without even thinking, he dug his phone out of his pocket and dialed his sister.

_Blaine? What's going on? Not that I don't love to hear from you and all, but it's later than the times you usually call._ Blaine sighed when she picked up, happy that he didn't have to spend the whole ride letting the memories tear him to pieces by himself.

"Sorry, Rachel. It's Cassidy. We, well, we're splitting up. I just left not even five minutes ago." He heard a stifled gasp from the other line.

_You did what? Oh my gosh, what happened? I swear, if that bitch cheated she will have hell to pay!_

"No, um, actually I cheated on her. With a guy. Who I'm in love with. Who I completely and irrevocably have been in love with since I met him a year ago." There was nothing but silence.

_Oh, Blaine. Honey, not that I'm not totally supportive of your choice because I'm going to love you unconditionally no matter what, but why do you sound as if you have the Hudson River gushing out of your eyeballs?_

"It's Valerie. Cassidy told me that there was no way I would ever be allowed to see her again. Rach, my little girl is my entire life! And then I had to tell her why her daddy was leaving and why I wouldn't be able to read to her and sing to her tonight before bed. She was perfectly fine with it until it really sunk in. Oh my God she was screaming for me to come back. Rachel, she was fucking _screaming_ and crying and-"

_Blaine, please calm down. I know this is horrible, but I am not going to allow you to have a panic attack in the back of a cab. Did you already take a pill earlier?_ He still couldn't speak, so he just made an affirmative noise. _Okay, good. Hopefully that will start to work soon. And she can't_ _keep Valerie from you. Maybe she could twenty years ago, but that isn't how it works._ Blaine groaned and leaned his forehead against the cool window glass.

"You don't understand. She's going to tell dad everything. Well, she'll probably fabricate some of it, but he'll know."

_I-I know our father's pretty horrible, especially when it comes to gays, but you do you really think he'll try to keep Valerie from you?_

"Yes, I really do. And so does she. That's why she's going to go to him. I don't know what I'm going to do if he gets involved, because they'll make my life a living hell. And I'm sure dad will find some way to go after Kurt and I just-I can't do that to him."

_Deep breaths. I really wish I knew what to tell you. But the only advice I can really give is follow your heart. If you're this in love with Kurt -I'm going to assume that's the same guy you said you were in love with- then you're just going to have to hope that everything is going to work out. We'll talk more about it tomorrow. We'll go get coffee, you can bring Kurt, and then we'll discuss what to do about this. Alright?_

"Alright, I'll see you tomorrow. Love you, sis." He could practically hear her smile on the other end.

_Love you too_. Blaine sat in silence the rest of the way to Kurt's place. He tried to keep Valerie's pleas and screams out of his mind, but it was like a broken record, constantly looping and replaying the same sequence until he thought he would go crazy.

When he stopped in front of the building, it took all he had to keep inside the car until it came to a complete stop. He quickly grabbed his bag and all but sprinted up the stairs, skipping two or three at a time in some places. When he reached Kurt's door, he all but ran into the door in his haste to get inside.

"Blaine," Kurt breathed when he finally -_finally-_ opened the door. "I didn't think you were going to be here this soon and-" he broke off when he saw Blaine's red, puffy eyes and tear-stained face. "Oh my God. Baby, what happened?" He wrapped his arms around the shaking man's waist and pulled him close.

"I'm never going to be able to see Valerie again. Well, maybe when I go get the rest of my stuff, but Cassidy's going to try to keep her away. And she's going to get my dad involved who's going to hate me and he'll be on her side," he explained in a rush. Kurt was speechless. He hadn't thought that anyone would stoop that low to hurt someone. Especially when the person they hurt was someone like Blaine, someone easily wounded and emotional. It was a wonder that he had even made it to the apartment, not in the state he was in.

"Blaine, you didn't have to do that. Not for me. I would have forgiven you. I would have understood," he assured quietly as he rubbed the other's back. He guided them to the couch, seeing as how they would be in this position for a long time. Against his chest, he felt Blaine shaking his head.

"Even if I wanted to deny it -which I never would- it wouldn't have mattered. Her sister caught a picture of us kissing in Central Park today." Kurt sighed and let a tear of his own slip out as he leaned his head back against the couch. It pained him to see Blaine like this, so weak and defenseless.

"It's okay," he assured with a sudden rush of hope. "We're going to get through this together. I promise."


	4. Only If For a Night

The next morning, Blaine woke up on a leather couch with sunlight streaming through the window. For a moment, he was stunned. He had never really had the opportunity to spend the whole night with Kurt, so it was odd waking up in his apartment. Then the rush of memories from last night came, reminding him exactly what he had done. He rolled over and rubbed his eyes, surprised that they hurt as much as they did. Obviously an ocean of tears had been shed, but the pain in his eyes was excruciating. On instinct, he checked his phone to see if anyone had left him any messages, but found none.

He wandered into the kitchen, just trying to figure out where Kurt had gone. He wouldn't be able to handle this by himself, as he had obviously proven last night. The other man was there, already impeccably dressed of course, drumming his fingers on the granite countertop as he waited on the coffee. Even with all the events of last night, Blaine still felt a smile cross his lips as he looked upon the impatient man.

"Hey," he whispered. His throat was no doubt scratchy from crying, and he was beyond hoarse. "I thought making coffee here was the bane of your existence. Normally, you prefer to have it made by a barista." Kurt turned and shrugged, moving closer as did.

"Well, I wasn't sure what time you were going to wake up, and I didn't want to leave you here, just in case you did." They stood there for another minute, silently processing what had occurred the night before.

"So, what are we going to do?" Blaine finally asked, choosing to be the one to break the tension: Even though Kurt was impatient, he was even more stubborn. Kurt sighed and leaned towards him.

"I don't know, do you think we should talk about this?" He wrapped his arms around the shorter man's waist and leaned his head against his chest. "I mean, you don't know how horrible I feel about this whole mess. If it wasn't for me, your life wouldn't be a mess and you would probably be playing with Valerie." He heard Blaine's heartbeat speed up when he mentioned the little girl, and felt the deep, shuddering breath he took. Blaine looked down and pulled Kurt's face up so they could look at each other.

"Kurt, without you, I wouldn't be honest with myself about who I am, and I would be stuck in a marriage with a woman I didn't love. And now I know who she really is, funny how I didn't really see what a bitch she is until last night, so I certainly won't be missing her," he replied easily, though they both knew he was careful not to mention Valerie.

"But what about your daughter. How exactly did she react to this?" They hadn't really gone into detail last night. Well, Blaine tried, but he wasn't in any state to have a lengthy conversation. Tears sprung to his hazel eyes as he slipped out of Kurt's arms and sunk to the tile to lean back against the half-wall.

"It was horrible," he whispered into his hands. Kurt crouched down on his knees so he could hear. "She cried and screamed. And the worst part about the whole thing was that she bothered so much by the fact that I was leaving, but that I was leaving without _her_. I mean, even as Cassidy closed the door behind me, I could still hear her as she tried to get out of her mother's grasp. And then the whole time Cassidy and her sister are just glaring at me because their going to try to keep me from being able to see her." He told the whole story haltingly, stopping to take breaths or to let a few wayward tears out. After he finished, he looked up only to see a horrorstruck expression on Kurt's face, eyes wide and a pale hand pressed over his mouth.

"Oh my God, Blaine, I am so sorry. Shit, I never thought something like that would happen when you told me you were going to tell her! But she can't just keep her from you, it won't be allowed." Before he could finish, Blaine was shaking his head.

"She can if she gets my father on her side. He absolutely hates gays, so he'll be all for her having full custody and no visitation rights for me. He's always seen me as a disappointment, no matter how well I did. I think the only time I remember him being proud of me was my wedding day." He looked up, only to find Kurt's eyes brimming with tears as well. "Damn it," he sighed "you never should have gotten involved with someone like me. Someone with too much emotional baggage. Someone who couldn't even be out with you until now, a year later."

"I've asked myself a few times why I love you. I mean, we're different in so many ways. And yeah, a few times I've been frustrated because I couldn't show affection out in public with you. I honestly thought, and I'm telling you this now because I hope you won't be angry, about breaking things off with you and finding another guy who I could be with openly. Then I realized, that nothing really mattered, so long as I knew you loved me." Blaine reached up and cupped Kurt's cheek before leaning in and kissing him soundly on the mouth before the ring of his phone interrupted them. He smiled as he checked the message.

"That's my sister, telling me that I'm supposed to meet her for lunch at eleven so we can talk about what I'm -what' _we're_- going to do about this. Do you want to come with me? I'll feel so much better if you came with me. And it's about time you met her, don't you think?" Kurt smiled and nodded. "Okay, just let me go take a shower and get dressed, then we'll go." He smiled again and leaned in for another lingering kiss.

In the span of just thirty minutes -something Kurt thought was impossible- Blaine was finished with his shower, finished dressing, and was putting on his shoes. Kurt came in as he was zipping the bag up.

"So, are we ready to go?" Blaine nodded and shot him a half smile.

"Yeah, one second." Kurt couldn't be sure, but it looked as if Blaine was putting a small pill bottle back into his bag. He smiled and linked their hands, and together they walked out of the apartment.

~.~.~.~

The second the pair arrived at the restaurant, Rachel jumped and attacked her brother in a tight hug. Kurt stepped a few inches back, letting the siblings have their reunion. He smiled slightly, happy to see that Blaine obviously had someone other than himself to confide in. When they pulled apart, he immediately felt the other man's arm wrap tightly around his waist, practically gluing their sides together.

"So I take it this is the guy you told me about yesterday when you called?" she asked warmly, no hint of anger or judgment in her voice. Blaine nodded as they sat down. "Well," she continued "he certainly is handsome. I really can't blame you, especially if you love him." All of a sudden, Kurt felt a rush of affection towards her, although they had just met. She was a very pretty girl, with brown hair and brown eyes. As he looked between the two of them, it was easy to see the resemblance between the two siblings. They even shared the same air about them.

"Well Kurt, this is my sister, Rachel. Rachel, this is my boyfriend, Kurt." He almost fell out of his chair after hearing Blaine calling him his boyfriend. Rachel eyed him teasingly.

"You'd better be kind to him, Blaine. A pretty face like that won't deal with your shenanigans for long." The two exchanged more taunts, trying to delay actually talking about what they came here for.

"So," Rachel asked after the waiter brought their drinks "what are you going to do about all of this, Blaine?" The two men looked at each other, unsure of what their plan really was. They hadn't had a real discussion about this, so it had to be decided now.

"Well, I'm going to go back over to the house to get a few more things. Obviously I won't be able to get all of my stuff, but I want to get most of it." He looked over towards his boyfriend and squeezed his hand under the table. "I mean, as long as this plan is okay with you?" Kurt smiled.

"Of course it's okay. I want you to live with me, so why wouldn't you bring your stuff?" Abruptly, Rachel squealed, startling the pale man.

"Really, Rach?" Blaine asked dryly "do you have to be so melodramatic about every little thing?" He smiled wryly as she clapped both of her hands over her mouth.

"I'm sorry," she replied happily "you two are just so cute. Blaine, why didn't you find him sooner." Yes, Kurt decided, he really did like Rachel. "But, as much as I hate to ruin such a cute moment, Blaine what are you going to do about Valerie? Especially if dad gets involved?" Blaine's eyes tightened, imperceptible to the rest of the world, but Kurt knew the distressed look.

"I want to hope that she was only being cruel because of the shock of the situation and because her sister was there, but I know that's not the only reason. She was being completely serious about recruiting his power to her 'side'. I wish I knew that he would side with me because he is my father, but I know he won't once Cassidy tells him exactly why I left. If I go over there today, she should be there, so I'll see her today." Rachel smiled and put her hand overtop of her brother's clasped hands, running her thumb over his wrist.

"Kurt, have you met Valerie?" she asked as she turned towards him.

"I have, actually. I met her yesterday in the park. She's such a lovely girl. Actually, she looks a lot like Blaine," he replied truthfully. Blaine smiled at him.

"She actually took really well to him. Normally she's shy around new people, but she just opened right up around him. I mean, she literally wanted to stay and talk to him as she started to fall asleep," he exclaimed happily. Rachel clapped her hands together.

"See! You two really are meant to be if Valerie liked you that quick." Kurt flushed happily and Blaine kissed his cheek. He looked down at his watch and sighed.

"As much as I would love to stay here for the rest of the day, I need to get going so I can get a few of my things before Cassidy throws it all out into the street." The trio rose from their table.

"Do you want me to come with you?" Kurt asked. He really wanted to be their for Blaine, but not if it would somehow make everything worse.

"I would love for you to come, but if Cassidy sees you then she'll freak out and it won't be pretty. I'll see you when I'm done, okay?" Kurt nodded and smiled. They kissed, ignoring Rachel's squeals of happiness.

Within the next ten minutes, Blaine was on the subway headed to his 'old' house. The train was noisy and filled with people, which allowed him little time to dwell in his own thoughts. He would have to be calm and collected if he could ever face Cassidy, now that she was on a warpath.

The ride wasn't as long as he had hoped, and sooner than he expected, he was facing the brown door. The doorknob loomed like a fierce dragon, the door a wall of thorns. He knocked, a completely foreign action. Normally he would have just walked right in, but this was no longer his house, a fact that Cassidy had made all too clear. And speak of the devil, there she was opening the door while balancing Valerie in her arms. Despite her eyes, eyes that belonged to someone too young to have cried that many tears to turn her eyes that red, and tangled hair that evidenced she hadn't slept much, Valerie light up like a Christmas tree when she saw him.

"Daddy! I knew you'd come back. Put me down, Mommy, please?" She begged as she squirmed. Cassidy sighed and eyed Blaine with a baleful glare.

"Wow, perfect timing, Blaine. She just woke up. Now, could to tell me why the hell you're here? I told you last night you were no longer welcomed here and that you would never see your daughter again. And on that note-" she broke off when the girl writhing in her arms broke free so she could hang on to his jean-clad legs.

"Mommy, you're mean to Daddy now, and I don't like it. So what if he likes Kurt? You were always complaining to Aunt Monica about Daddy anyway, and I don't know why, 'cause he's the best ever," she flashed a smile up at him at her compliment, and he bent so he could hold her. "And yesterday, Kurt was nothing but nice to both of us. Why aren't you as nice as him? Maybe if you were, Daddy would be with you instead of Kurt," she concluded. Her harsh words didn't go along with her innocent lisp, which just made the whole situation funny to Blaine. He bit back a laugh at Cassidy's face, which managed to look angry, shocked, and a tiny bit hurt. She turned on him when she heard his escaped chuckle.

"Congratulations, you've turned my own daughter against me," she shot at him. He shook his head and sidestepped into the hall.

"No, sweetheart, that was all you. But let's face it, kids are mean, but at least they tell the truth. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a few things to get, then I'll be out of your hair for another couple of days." He set Valerie down on her feet, but she followed him back to his now old room. So did Cassidy, apparently set on making his experience as horrible as possible.

"So have you told anyone?" He had been packing clothes and some of his favorite albums into a bag for a few minutes, under the direct supervision of Valerie, so Cassidy's question startled him despite it's softness. He turned to look at her. She stood in the doorway, and it was like she had removed the hard mask that had evolved overnight.

"Yeah, just Rachel. I called her last night while I was in a cab, then I met with her at lunch today so she could meet Kurt. You?" She shook her head and sighed sadly.

"No. Well, unless you count Monica. And this mess is partly her fault. I mean, you wouldn't have had to come out about your, um, relationship with him if she didn't take the picture." Blaine looked from his now closed bag up to her.

"Actually, I was planning on telling you last night, anyway. Your sister just happened to be a catalyst in that. But you should know, I never meant to hurt you as much as I have. And I know that sounds fucking stupid seeing as how I've hurt you in so many ways, but it's the truth," he admitted as he stood up.

"So this guy really means more to you than I do, or our marriage. He means more than Valerie?" she accused harshly.

"Don't try to convince yourself that I'm leaving because I'm some selfish bastard who would leave his whole family over lust, because that's not the case. She means more to me than anyone else in this entire world. You using her like a weapon against me isn't going to help anyone, certainly not her." Cassidy shook her head and shadowed him out of the room.

"You might as well just get a lawyer while your out, because this is done.

You're still not getting her. I don't care what you say about me, I don't even care what you do. I care about her, and I know what's best. I've built her world carefully, and you are not going be a part of it any longer," she threatened as her voice rose. He scoffed and turned on her. Valerie looked between her two parents before going out of the room, already sensing a fight.

"That doesn't mean you can just…just shatter it whenever you feel like it! And you can't keep me from her, not unless it's decided in court, so I'll definitely be getting that lawyer. Oh and by the way, some judges are very generous whenever they take the child's opinion into consideration."

"Blaine, really? What battle do you think your father can't win? Especially when it's something as important as Valerie. Because I know he won't want her living with, or even seeing, you with _him_." They were both yelling at each other as they stood in the front hallway. "Now, get out," she yelled as she twisted the door open. Blaine gave one long look to Valerie, who stood, quivering, behind Cassidy.

"Mommy, I'm going with Daddy today," she said before her mother could shut the door. Cassidy whipped around.

"No, you aren't, Valerie. We had this discussion for a very, very long time last night. You need to just let your father go. He wants to be with that Kurt man more than he wants you or me," she said behind gritted teeth. The young girl shook her head.

"You're lying to me! He said he cared more about me than anyone else, and I'm going with him. You know you can't stop me if I want to. 'Cause I can call Aunt Rachel, the nice one, and she'll tell me the truth. Aunt Monica would just lie to me like you do." Cassidy sighed and stood up. She looked over at Blaine. He had tears in his eyes, both of pride in her stubbornness and pain at why she had to be so headstrong.

"Fine, go with him. Whatever. But you are coming back tomorrow, no fights." Valerie squealed and ran towards Blaine. Cassidy cast one last glare before slamming the door.

"Hey, sweet girl. Are you ready to go to Kurt's now?" She nodded enthusiastically.

"Yes! But Daddy," she added thoughtfully, "I don't have any clothes for tomorrow." He smiled down at her.

"Well, that's why I grabbed some of your clothes as well. You know, just in case your mommy said yes." She squealed and wrapped her arms tightly around his neck.

"You're the best, Daddy, you know that?" He smiled before kissing her softly on her forehead.

"I do now."

~.~.~.~

They arrived at Kurt's apartment a little later. The cab ride hadn't seemed so long, Blaine noted, now that he had his daughter to keep him company. She babbled the whole time about random little things, but never once did he find it annoying like other parents did. Instead, it was endearing; something that reminded him about how similar they were. It wasn't until they were standing in front of Kurt's door that Valerie's hand gripped his own tighter.

"What if Kurt doesn't want me here?" she asked mournfully. "He was nice in the park, but are you sure he'll want me here with the two of you?" Blaine squatted down so they looked each other in the eye.

"Val, of course he wants you here with us. Almost as much as I do. I wouldn't be with him if he couldn't love you as much as I do." She smiled before opening the door. They found Kurt sitting on the couch, going over the look book from his job. When he heard the door open, he looked up, only to see the two of them standing together, Blaine with the happiest smile he had ever seen, and Valerie clutching his hand like a life preserver.

"Oh my God!" He squealed with delight and almost fell over himself trying to get to them. "She let you bring her with you?" Blaine chuckled and wrapped an arm around the other man's waist.

"Well, it was more Valerie's work on getting her 'permission', no matter how grudging it was." Kurt looked down at the small girl and smiled.

"You must have worked some kind of magic then. I'm very happy to see you again," he said honestly.

"I know. I really wanted to see you again, 'cause you were so nice and you looked like you loved my Daddy a lot." And her words were completely true, as most children's answers are. She hugged him around a leg, and Kurt almost died with happiness before reaching down to return the embrace. As Valerie saw the two men kiss, lightly of course, and hug, she couldn't help but feel happy, and that this was really the place she was supposed to be.


	5. Damaged, Not Broken

The next few hours were like heaven to Blaine. It brought him a certain amount of happiness to see Kurt and Valerie talking and having fun together. Much like it was in the park, they talked like old friends. Also like in the park, they seemed perfectly content with ganging up on Blaine, jokingly of course. He had seen friends of his interacting with their own kids, and they weren't half as great as Kurt. He held none of the forced intrigue that most people held when dealing with or talking to children.

Despite all of their jokes at his expense, it was still one of the greatest nights he'd ever had. It just fit to have the three of them curled up on Kurt's inviting black leather couch watching Disney movies they had found on demand after dinner. Valerie snuggled up between the two of them, not wanting to be apart from either man. This just caused everyone's smiles to grow impossibly wider.

As the _Tangled_ credits began to roll, their third movie of the night, Blaine noticed that she had begun to fall asleep. He stood and gently picked her up.

"Do you have an extra bedroom somewhere? I don't know if you ever had the chance to give me the grand tour." Kurt smiled and stood up as well.

"Of course I do, silly. It's just down the hall from the master bedroom. Are you going to put her to bed?" Blaine nodded and quirked a smile down at his now fast asleep daughter. "Do you mind if I come with you?"

"Of course you can, it is your house, right? And I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you." He leaned in and pressed a kiss to Kurt's mouth, deep, but quick due to the small girl pressed between them. "Plus," he added as the walked together down the hall, "I think she likes you a lot. She'd probably be offended if you didn't." They both laughed quietly and stepped into the room. Like all guest rooms, it was nicely decorated, but had no sense of personal touch. Blaine pulled back the duvet and tucked her in quickly, not wanting to wake her. He kissed her quickly on the forehead, and Kurt did the same. As they walked out, she stirred slightly.

"I really like it here. Can I stay here forever?" she mumbled, already beginning to fall asleep again.

"Of course you can," Kurt assured her. She gave an inaudible thanks and then she was sleeping once more. Blaine shut the door almost completely, leaving just a sliver open. They walked into the kitchen to make some tea. As they did, Kurt let out a sigh of relief.

"I'm so happy this worked out like it did," he explained when Blaine raised an eyebrow at him. "I've never really been good with kids, so I guess it's lucky that Valerie likes me." Blaine came over to wrap his arms around Kurt's waist.

"How could you not be good with kids, love? You were so great with Valerie," he asked, incredulous.

"I don't know. Kids and I have never gotten along very well, for whatever reason. Trust me, when you told me you had a daughter, I was kind of scared, because I feared she, like most kids, wouldn't like me. But unlike all those other kids," he added as he twisted his long fingers into the curls at the nape of Blaine's neck, "Valerie is _your_ daughter, not some random kid I have to be nice to." Blaine smiled.

"You're too perfect for your own good, you know that, right?" Kurt nodded and smiled.

"Oh I know." They didn't even have time to stop smiling before leaning in and kissing each other with all that they had, whistling tea pot forgotten. Well, at least for a little while. They pulled apart after a few minutes, but not without a low whine from Blaine. They drank their tea in comfortable silence, unmarred by any noise.

"So we should definitely _celebrate_ you officially living here tonight. Quietly of course, wouldn't want to wake any sensitive ears in the next room," Kurt said seductively, leaning across the counter to brush his hand down the side of Blaine's neck. He could feel the other man's thick swallow against his palm as he nodded. "But first," he added, "we should probably find room for your stuff. Don't you think?" Blaine smiled.

"That sounds perfect." They walked together towards Kurt's -well, now _their_ room- hand in hand. Kurt went to Blaine's black bag sitting on the bed and opened it. He handed one of the shirts to Blaine, telling him to find some space in the walk in closet. As he looked through the bag, his fingers brushed against the smooth plastic of a pill bottle. He picked it up, shocked to see it was an anti-anxiety prescription.

"Kurt, I swear you have so many clothes it was difficult to find-" he broke off when he saw the bottle in hand. They both stared at each other for a minute, electric tension between them. "I didn't mean for you to find that," Blaine admitted finally.

"Blaine, Ativan is pretty serious. Why didn't you mention it to me? Or better yet, why didn't you want me to find out?" Blaine looked up, shocked that there was no accusation or condemnation in Kurt's voice. He sat down on the bed and buried his head in his hands. Kurt sat next to him and put the bottle down on the nightstand.

"I've never really felt like I was good enough for anyone or anything," Blaine started. "In high school, I mean, I was smart and on the football team, yeah, but that really wasn't good enough. The guys on the team would rag on me about how I spent too much time in the library and not enough out 'chasing girls' or whatever they thought I should be doing. When I still didn't they got a bit more…aggressive in their endeavors to get me a girlfriend. I wasn't exactly 'popular' or anything, just the nerd who could kick a good field goal or extra point. So it didn't really matter how -poorly- they treated me.

"Eventually, I had enough of it, and I asked my dad if I could transfer to Dalton Academy. He agreed, but not before making it very clear that I was weak if I couldn't handle what he called a 'small amount of bullying'." Kurt reached over and took Blaine's hands in his.

"Did that help at all? I mean, why are you on the medication now?" he asked quietly. Just when he thought he knew everything about Blaine, there were still secrets left to discover.

"Well, no one bullied me anymore. But It was still bad. Every single time I heard a locker slam or the guys in the hall jeering at each other, I would have panic attacks. Most were mild, but some…some weren't. I told Rachel about it, she's two years older than me, and she was actually the one to take me to the psychologist. He diagnosed me with acute anxiety and mild depression, and that's when he prescribed the Ativan. I used to take them every day, but now I just use it when I feel I'm going into a stressful situation or like an attack is coming on." The two shared a long look, as if they both knew there was more to the story.

"Blaine, I…I'm so sorry you had to go through that. But why didn't you tell me that you were on it? I wouldn't have thought anything less of you either way." Blaine sighed again and carded his fingers through his hair.

"Ever since I started those pills, people have used them to undermine me and any effort I make. My dad thinks less of me, because he thinks I need to take a pill every day just to keep myself functioning. He can't stand the thought of 'any son of his' depending on anything. And any time Cassidy and I would argue and I would just get _agitated_ she would tell me to just go take another pill. I was just _tired _of people using that as something to pick at me for," he explained in a rush. Kurt brought his pale hands to the other man's face and held him gently.

"I would never do something like that to you, Blaine. This isn't a weakness to me. If anything, you're stronger for getting help and not doing something drastic or living with it with no help. So what if you need to take an Ativan every once and a while? It doesn't make you a different person to me, and I'm certainly not going to think any less of you. You're still the same man I fell in love with." He leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to Blaine's mouth, and could feel the lips beneath his smiling. "So, why don't we finish finding room for your things in my ghastly closet then we can get around to our _celebration_?" Blaine nodded.

"That sounds perfect."


	6. Take It or Leave It

**Author's Note: So, I would like to take this space to thank everyone who has read this and stuck with it despite my flighty-ness in updating and whatnot. I wish I could seriously hug every single one of you. Also, I'm not sure if anyone really noticed, but in the previous chapter I said Blaine has acute anxiety. That's actually wrong. He has _panic __disorder_ which causes the near panic attacks he experiences. I fixed it in this chapter, so no worries, it's all good now. So without further ado, please read.**

It was seven in the morning when Blaine woke up. The sun was just beginning to shine in through the window, and Kurt was still deeply asleep. And, judging by the fact that Valerie didn't go to sleep until eleven the previous night, she was probably asleep as well. He unwound his arms from the other man's waist so he could prop himself up on one arm. He smiled as Kurt, after realized Blaine had stopped holding him, let out a small groan and shuffled back to try to find him again. He leaned down and began kissing him softly, along his jaw and down his neck. Before long, Kurt woke up. He rolled over to look at Blaine with bleary blue eyes.

"Well, that's certainly a way to wake someone up. What time is it anyway?" Blaine rolled over to check the alarm clock.

"7:30," he replied happily. He looked over, just in time to see Kurt's disdainful eye roll.

"And yet I'm awake. Blaine, I swear, if you would've woken me up any other way than with your amazing mouth, I probably would've thrown you out the window then happily gone to sleep," he mumbled.

"Uh-huh, sure. Keep telling yourself that, babe," Blaine quipped before kissing him deeply. Kurt groaned and rolled over so he was on top. However, at that moment, they heard Valerie's footsteps outside in the hall, no doubt looking for the two of them.

"Damn," Blaine sighed. "I assumed she wouldn't wake up until at least nine or ten." Kurt got up off of the bed and walked to his closet in search of pants.

A few minutes later, the two of them were dressed and presentable for the eyes of the small girl. She was sitting on the edge of the couch, swinging her legs back and forth. She let out a small yawn as she smiled at the pair.

"Morning, Daddy. Morning, Kurt. Daddy, what are we going to do today?" Blaine looked between Valerie and Kurt.

"Well, I don't know. I don't think I have to take you back to your mom's until later tonight. Do you want to get dressed then we can get breakfast and figure things out from there?" She agreed and went to go get her clothes from the bag he had brought over the previous day.

"Is that okay with you, Kurt?" he asked as they made their way towards the kitchen.

"Yeah, actually, it sounds pretty perfect to me," he replied with a sincere smile. Blaine moved to say something else, but was interrupted by his phone vibrating against the counter. He picked it up, only to see Cassidy's name flash up on the screen. He let out a low oath before picking up.

"Cassidy, what do you want? It's eight in the morning," he asked, clearly exasperated.

_Blaine, where the hell are you with my daughter? I told you yesterday that I wanted her home today. The only reason I let her go with you last night was because I knew she was just going to hate me if I didn't. So bring her home._

"Cassidy, I'm going to make one thing clear that I thought was pretty basic, but apparently, you can not seem to grasp this concept: Valerie is not solely _your_ daughter. She's also mine. So if you could possibly be _so_ kind as to not be pithy, I'd appreciate it. And I actually planned on bringing her home later tonight, which would still be today."

_No. Bring her home, Blaine. I don't want her being around you more than necessary, especially when you're with that…other guy,_ she screeched loud enough for Kurt to hear. Blaine pinched the bridge of his nose and quickly walked out of the room. Kurt turned, not quite sure what he should do, and almost bumped into Valerie, already dressed in red dress with purple tights.

"Oh, sorry, honey," he amended. "I didn't see you there." She smiled absently.

"It's okay. My mom is yelling at Daddy again, isn't she?" she asked, a hint of sadness coloring her tone.

"I'm afraid she is," Kurt sighed. Valerie shrugged and looked towards Blaine, who was currently pacing back in forth and almost on the verge of shouting.

"I don't know why she's so mean to him. He hasn't done anything wrong. And I would rather stay over here anyways. I like being with you two more than her," she murmured quietly before hugging him. He stiffened with surprise at the embrace, but recovered and returned the embrace.

In the other room, Blaine angrily tapped the 'end' button on his screen hard enough that he could've cracked the thin glass. He looked over towards the other room, and his anger almost immediately quelled. Valerie and Kurt were hugging, and it had to be the cutest thing he had ever seen. He snapped a quick picture, and unwillingly went to let them know the bad news.

"Well, unfortunately, a change of plans is now in effect, and you mom wants you home, well an hour ago, apparently," he told her sadly. Valerie let out a small sniff and clutched Kurt a bit tighter.

"But I don't want to go, Daddy," she told him with a bit of a whine.

"I know you don't, sweetheart. But the more your mom gets pissed off, the less I'll get to see you, so we both have to cooperate, okay?" She nodded slowly and reached over towards him and squeezed him tight.

"Kurt, will you come with us to take me back to Mommy's house," she asked as her father stood up. Kurt bit his lip, unsure of what he should really do.

"Um, is it going to cause any problems? You know, if she sees me with the two of you, I mean?" he asked. Blaine shrugged.

"I think she's just about as pissed off as she could possibly be at this point, so I don't see any harm. And anyway, I'll protect you from my crazy ex-wife," he added with a conspiratorial wink. "Let me just go take my medication and then we'll be on our way. Hell, I might as well just bring the bottle with me."

Thirty minutes later, they all stood in front of Cassidy's brownstone. Kurt began to walk with them, but stopped once they reached the stairs.

"You know what, I think I'll just stay down here, if that's okay with you, Valerie," he told the pair shakily. Valerie nodded and hugged him goodbye. She clutched Blaine's hand even tighter as he rang the doorbell. The door was thrown open and there was Cassidy. She smiled when she looked at her daughter, but that quickly faded once she looked up at Blaine.

"Thank you for brining her home so soon," she said stiffly. Blaine waved her off.

"Stop faking polite just for Valerie. She could hear you screeching through the phone." Instead of yelling like he expected, she just smiled a Cheshire Cat.

"Well, Blaine," a clearly masculine voice exclaims from inside the house "you obviously haven't lost your snark or gained any form of tact since the last time I saw you."

"D-Dad?" he stutters as Michael Anderson appears behind the smirking blonde. "W-What are you doing here? I thought you had some business thing to take care of in Ohio?" Michael showed a tight lipped grin that set Blaine on edge. That smile generally meant hurtful intentions, and today, he was on the receiving end.

"Well, I did. But when Cassidy here called me and informed me of the current -ah- situation, I knew my help was needed elsewhere." Blaine gulped, and his hands began to shake. Kurt watched from the bottom step, praying he could do something to help him, but he knew if he got involved it would only be worse. He thought he saw Blaine's tanned hand move towards the pocket of his leather jacket, almost as if he wanted to grab his pill bottle.

"Sweetie, why don't you go inside? Your Aunt Monica is here, and she really wants to see you," Cassidy announced quickly. Even though the little girl had been slightly afraid of her since Blaine had left, she still loved her daughter, and didn't want her to see the dispute that would surely break out. Blaine squatted down to hug her, and even though his mind told him not to, he let go when she squeaked out a shaky "Bye, Daddy". He pulled back and cupped her cheek.

"Bye, sweetheart. I'll see you later okay?" She nodded, a hint of a smile playing on her lips. "I love you," he murmured as he kissed her forehead.

"Love you too, Daddy," she told him as her mom ushered her into the house. When she closed the door, Michael scoffed at his son.

"Why give the girl any false hope, Blaine. Once I'm through here, you'll never see her again. Not unless you leave whatever _fag_ you're with now and come back here, to where you belong." Blaine shook his head.

"You're wrong, Dad. You are not going to be able to keep me from her. Neither of you are. And for your information, I'm not going to be leaving Kurt, not for anything. Do you want to know why? Because I'm in _love with him_. Don't you dare insult him, not when I'm around, not ever. And there's nothing that you're going to be able to do about it, so just give up with your scare tactics, Dad, because they're not going to work today." Despite his brave words, he could feel his stomach turning, and his heart began thrumming in his chest.

"Have you forgotten what kind of power I wield? Just forget about any chance you have in court, because once I'm through, you're going to regret everything you've done. Jesus, Blaine," he yelled "when did I ever teach you to be weak and throw everything away on something trivial?"

"Kurt isn't something trivial!" he shouted back. "I'm in love with him, and last time I checked that counted for a hell of a lot more than pleasing you ever did." Michael raked his hands through his salt-and-pepper hair.

"You're _weak_! You make these stupid decisions, and then you don't have the guts to face the consequences, because you live in some fairy-tale version of life! I knew I shouldn't have paid for you to get those drugs in high school. I bet you couldn't even come here without being propped up on that shit! God, I'm sure you got that from your mother. She was always weak, just like you. It's a shame you can't be like your older brother."

"_Mom wasn't weak!_ She had the same depression, but she didn't go see a psychologist like I did because you kept telling her it was nothing. So it got worse and worse and worse. That's why she's dead. Because of you. _It's all your fault_. And you know what, I didn't exactly get the best father in the world. So I guess we're both out of luck. The only reason you prefer Jace over me is because he let you control everything about his life," Blaine shouted.

"Why you little-" Michael growled as he moved to lunge at his youngest son. Kurt all but ran up the steps and pulled Blaine back.

"Blaine," he soothed. "Love, calm down. Don't do anything you're going to regret later." He held Blaine's trembling hands between his own, and listened as Blaine's breath began to speed up.

"So this is the guy you chose, Blaine? Good God, I think he's more feminine than you actual wife is," Michael sneered. Blaine moved to hit him, but he was restrained by Kurt's arms around his waist. The older man turned towards Kurt. "And who would you be? The only thing I know about you is that you brainwashed my son here into being like you." It took everything Kurt had not to roll his eyes.

"I'm Kurt Hummel. And I didn't brainwash Blaine into anything. Just because you're unwilling to accept that he's not exactly what you want him to be doesn't mean that you can insult him like this."

"You aren't going to tell me how to talk to my own son. You don't even know him like I do, Mr. Hummel," he threatened darkly.

"You're right. That's because I know him better than you. I know you've kept his life compartmentalized, and you wanted to mold him in to the next you. So you paid no attention when he played the guitar better than most professionals, or sang exceptionally. And having depression and panic disorder didn't fit either, so you chose to ignore it. Then you proceeded to put him down by calling him weak when he actually got help for it. So you can't see the real Blaine that the rest of the world sees, because he doesn't fit in your perception of what your world should be.

"And you know what, I feel sorry for you. Because, apparently, you're never going to know what a wonderful, amazing person he is. You're never going to know exactly how strong he is." Michael folded his arms across his chest and looked at his son, choosing to ignore Kurt's speech.

"Well, Blaine, you should be happy for yourself; now you have someone to champion yourself when you can't do it because you didn't take enough pills. I guess Cassidy and I will be seeing you in court." Before Blaine could manage an intelligent response, his father and ex stepped back into what used to be his home. Kurt looked over towards him just in time to see him sink to the ground.

"Sorry about that. I think I did more bad than good, what do you think?" he asked quietly as he sat down beside the other man. When Blaine looked up, there were tears in his eyes, but he was smiling.

"Don't apologize, you were amazing. No one…no one's ever done something like that for me before. I love you. Just so much. And not just for what you just did, you know that. I feel like I don't say it enough like I should. I just wanted to let you know."


	7. Without the Bitter, Sweet isn't as Sweet

**Okay, I'm going to apologize for this being so horribly late. And I'm going to explain why. If you don't care, then continue on to the actual story, but this is just here. I was running a bit low on what I wanted to do with this chapter, because I wanted it to be fluffy, which is why it's so short. Also, on a more personal note one of my teachers told me that I'm not that great of a writer. Now, this is one of the only things I'm good at and what makes me actually feel good about myself, so I took this incredibly hard. It took a while for me to kind of get over that, so I hope that the next chapter after this will be out in a timely manner.**

Hours later, Kurt and Blaine were in their apartment with Chinese take out, and a bottle of wine. Obviously they weren't celebrating anything, but it was still nice to just be together and forget, if just for a few hours, the events that had occurred only a few hours ago. They settled on the white couch, a box of lo mein being shared between them. The opening credits of the movie of the night began to roll when Blaine looked over at Kurt and smiled.

"I can't believe I didn't find you sooner," he mumbled as he kissed the other man's inviting mouth. "Then none of this would have happened and we could've been having nights like this one for years," he continued. Kurt rolled his eyes and pulled away.

"Oh, but where would the fun in that be?" he teased. He kissed Blaine's indignant pout away until they were both smiling and just a tad breathless. "But you're right. It would make things so much easier. Now, I really want to see this movie, so for once, could we actually pay attention to something other than ourselves?" Blaine cocked an eyebrow but nodded anyway.

"You know," he interrupted just as Steve Carell jumped out of the car "I don't think I ever did thank you for what you did today. No one…no one's ever done something like that for me. So, thank you." His voice cracked a little. Not that much, but enough for someone so attuned to his voice, like Kurt, could immediately pick it up. Kurt twisted around in Blaine's arms so they could look at each other, and, sure enough, his eyes were shining.

"Blaine, you don't have to thank me for that. I did it because I love you, and I couldn't bear the sight of you hurting like that. But, to be honest, your father scares the _hell_ out of me. But the thing is, I don't care who he is, I'm not going to let him hurt you, because I love you too much for that to happen." He smiled, actually showing the teeth he was usually so self conscious about before swooping in for a quick kiss.

They stayed like that for the next hour, content with staying in each other's arms and watching a movie.

"You know," Blaine commented during the climax, "This movie title basically describes our life right now. Kurt smiled, but not because of what he was really talking about. He smiled because of the way Blaine had said '_our life' _and not 'our lives'. It was like their lives were directly entwined, and that one could not exist properly without the other.

"You think so? Because I can definitely see the 'crazy' part being here. I don't think I've ever been around this much insanity whenever I'm not with you. And 'love', obviously because I think it's pretty obvious that I love you, and you love me."

"But not the 'stupid'," Blaine cut in. "I don't think I could ever see me loving you as being stupid."


	8. Call It Karma

**Hello again, patient readers! I have no excuse for the late update, sorry. However, I have just a bit of self promotion here: if you have a tumblr and are interested in following me, my url is warblinginthetardis(.)tumblr(.)com Just, you know, without the parentheses. Okay, read on!**

For once, Kurt actually woke up before Blaine. Of course, that's because he actually wakes up when an alarm clock goes off, but that's beside the point. He opened his eyes blearily and almost fell off of the bed because the sheets twisted around his bare legs like greedy tentacles. He heard Blaine's low moan as he extricated himself out of the tan arms that wrapped around his waist.

"Where are you going?" he mumbled, barely even awake. Kurt succeeded in getting out of the bed and began to walk towards the huge closet.

"Well, it is Monday. I don't know about you, but the rest of the world generally wakes up at a normal time, even in spite of the prior night's, uh, _activities_." At the word Monday, Blaine all but shot out of bed.

"Shit," he half yelled. "What time is it?" He glanced at the clock, and the little red numbers seemed to glare at him.

"Blaine," Kurt asked carefully "are you okay?" Blaine twirled around and smiled.

"Oh I'm fine, really," he assured with a smile. "I'll be fifteen minutes late, but I doubt they'll care seeing as how I've never been late before." He was dressed faster than anyone Kurt had ever seen before: And he worked behind the scenes at fashion shows! They shared a quick, but of course deep, kiss before Blaine was out the door and down to the street to hail a cab.

Twenty minutes later, Blaine was sitting behind the glass in a recording studio, trying not to listen to the screeching from the other side. Whoever thought it was a good idea to let this tone deaf idiot record an EP deserved a foot in the ass. He dismissed her as calmly as he could before stepping out to go find any cup of coffee he could find.

"Hey, Anderson, wait up," his friend, Benjamin, called from behind. "Is it true that you left Cassidy?" Blaine stopped dead and turned slowly.

"How'd you know about that?" Blaine asked. Ben had been a really great friend for a long time, but Blaine still couldn't be sure about his reaction.

"Well, last night Cas called Anna and told her. I didn't even know what was going on until she dropped the phone and ran to tell me," Ben exclaimed as he held his hands up, a sign of surrender.

"Great," Blaine muttered under his breath, a scowl plain on his face. It wasn't that he didn't want anyone to know, quite the opposite: He just wanted to be the one to tell whomever he wanted. "Does anyone else here know?" Ben chuckled and shrugged.

"Well, Anna's one of the biggest gossips I've ever met. So, it's definitely plausible. How's Valerie taking it? I mean, I have never seen a kid so attached to their dad." Blaine smiled at the mention of his daughter.

"Pretty well, actually. I hate that Cassidy keeps trying to keep me from seeing her, but Valerie won't stand it. She absolutely adores Kurt, and doesn't have any problem with me being with him. If anything, she actually likes it."

"So when do I get to meet him? You can't just hide him forever, you know?" Ben asked. Blaine assured him the meeting would happen sometime before returning to the sound booth again. Thankfully, the next band recording their second CD was much better than the first.

"Thanks guys," he called through the microphone. "We'll have the album finished before the week is over." The members smiled and thanked him before they left, but the lead singer, a short, pretty blonde, stayed behind.

"Thanks for working with us, Blaine. Maybe we could go out sometime? Get a coffee or something," she asked shyly. Blaine smiled, not wanting to hurt her feelings. After all, she did write love songs for a living.

"That's sweet," he assured "but I play for a different team." She shrugged and left, jogging down the corridor to catch up with her friends. When Blaine turned back to the door to leave for lunch, he found Gage, his one other closest friend in the company, leaning against the door with his arms folded across his chest.

"So the rumors are true?" he asked, a hint of coldness in his voice. Blaine cleared his throat, afraid of what he already knew would come next.

"Well that depends on what you're talking about, because I certainly don't know." Gage sighed deeply, and both men knew exactly what was going on.

"You know what I'm talking about, Blaine. Steph told me that Anna called to say you left Cassidy. For a guy. So, is it true or not?"

"Yes, it is. His name is Kurt, and I've been in love with him for a year. Anything else." Gage nodded slowly, unsure of what he was supposed to say and how he was supposed to say it. But Blaine already knew, and he willed his hands not to shake, for his heart not to race.

"Steph made it explicitly clear that I can't be friends with you, so long as the rumor was true. I hate to do this, Blaine, but I'm not going to fight her over this." With one final, pitying glance, he walked out, leaving Blaine to deal with the loss of what he had considered a good friend. He looked at the clock, and prayed the next three hours would pass so he could go home. Because Kurt was there, and kurt always had a way of making the whole world better.

~.~.~.~

Kurt was still smiling as he walked into his office. Being one of the main creative directors of one of the biggest fashion magazines in the world had its perks: Namely, his tow best friends who shared the office.

"Oh _someone's_ looking happy today," he heard Mercedes call as he pushed through the door.

"Did you get to see that little boy toy of yours yesterday? Hop on up and tell Auntie Tana _all_ about it." Kurt smiled, but hopped on her desk, pushing aside papers aside he did.

"Blaine is not a 'boy toy', Santana. You know that. And yes, I did see him. But that's not all." Mercedes_ tsked _and pulled her chair beside the desk.

"Kurt, as your friend, I am begging you to drop him. I'm sick of seeing you in this bipolar love state. Ever day you come in here and you'll either be happy because you saw him the night before, but more often then not, you're depressed because he didn't or left way early to go home. To his wife!" Kurt tried to explain, but Santana cut in abruptly.

"I have to agree. Anyways, I thought you ended it with him months ago. And 'Cedes has a point. I don't care if we do live in New York, I can still go all Lima Heights Adjacent on him." She began to drum her painted nails on the wood, awaiting his reply.

"If the tow of you would listen, then none of this would be required. He left her For me, on Friday" He found himself smiling as the other two gasped. "And I've already met his sister, Rachel, and his daughter, Valerie. And she actually seems to like me, which is a miracle in and of itself."

"So wait, you're saying he finally go t the guts to leave that bitch?" Santana asked eagerly. Kurt smiled and nodded happily.

"But how did she take it? I mean, is his ex fine with it?" Mercedes asked with a worried frown. Kurt's own smile fell.

"No, of course not. She wants to keep Blaine away from Valerie at all costs. She called Blaine's dad, who is the most homophobic man I have ever met, in an effort to change his mind. Nothing's ever enough for him though, especially whatever Blaine does. I think he's part of the reason for Blaine's panic disorder." He clapped his hand over his mouth, aware that he had given away a secret he never should have talked about to anyone except for Blaine. It was up to him to determine who he could trust, and already Kurt had broken that one small clause.

"Look Kurt," Santana interrupted. "I know you love him, but he's damaged goods. Are you sure you can even handle all of this mess?"

"Santana, you don't understand. I'm in love with _all_ of him, even more so because of his flaws. He loves me, but even more than that, at least to me, he _needs_ me, almost as much as I need him." He gave a watery smile as the two women embraced him.

"I think we need to meet this guy, don't you thing, Tana?"


	9. Give It All

Blaine let out a sigh of relief when he walked into the apartment and heard Kurt moving around in the kitchen. He walked towards the other room, unable to resist the smile breaking out on his face when he saw the other man.

"So, how was your day?" he asked, causing Kurt to jump slightly. He moved in for a quick kiss, but pulled away before they had the opportunity to melt.

"It was fine. Good even. I told Santana and Mercedes about us. Well, not that they didn't already know, but I told them how you moved in and everything." Kurt trailed off with a laugh, stopping himself before he could ramble any more. He turned back around to stir the spaghetti sauce simmering in the pot on the stove. Blaine followed, leaning against the counter lazily.

"Santana and Mercedes?" His forehead creased in concentration, trying to remember if he had ever heard the names. "Oh! They're your two friends at the magazine. The ones that came with you from Lima, right?" Kurt smiled and nodded quickly.

"That's them, alright. They actually want to meet you soon." He looked up as Blaine gave a strained chuckle.

"That's funny. My friend, Ben, actually said the same thing. Guess we already have plans for the weekend." Kurt nodded and wrapped his arms around Blaine's neck.

"Too bad. I really wanted to spend it with you. And Valerie, of course, if Cassidy would allow it." Blaine twined his arms tightly around the other man's waist, pressing insistently against him. "Was Ben the only one you told? I mean, I know you'll tell them on your own time, I'm just wondering." Blaine traced nonsensical patterns on his lower back and shook his head.

" I actually didn't get the opportunity to tell anyone. Cassidy I guess called some of her friends to 'let them know'. So, naturally, the whole studio knows. Luckily, most of them are okay with it. Congratulatory, even." Kurt twisted his fingers in the short curls at the base of Blaine's neck.

"Are you serious?" he asked quietly, angrily. Blaine nodded quickly and tried to swallow past the lump that had grown in his throat. "Are you okay about this?" he asked again after a pause. "You seem awfully cavalier about the whole ordeal," he added uncertainly.

"No. No, not really. I lost someone I assumed was one of my closest friends, all because he's scared of his wife. But it doesn't really matter," he allotted with a brilliant smile that Kurt couldn't help but return.

"And why is that?" Blaine pulled back and clasped the other man's hands in his own, twining their fingers together. Kurt ran his thumb across his fingers lightly and gave his own soft smile.

"Because I have you, and because I love you. You're really all I've ever wanted." He squeezed his hand tighter. "_This_ is all I've ever wanted." Kurt could feel his face flush with happiness. He couldn't think of any response that would sound nearly that perfect without sounding utterly hokey, but he knew Blaine understood what he was thinking, what he was feeling.

They ate in a simple fashion, talking about the lighter happenings of their day, holding hands all the while. It was 7:00 when they finished, and they fumbled for what would happen next. They had lived for so long on short, borrowed time that they didn't know what to do now that there was nothing that could interrupt them, nothing that could tear the other from their side.

As if in vindictive response, Blaine's phone began to buzz, Cassidy's number glowing on the screen. He sighed before picking it up, wary of what would be waiting on the other side.

"Hello, Cassidy," he answered with a world-weary sigh. "What do you want now?" He hit the speaker button so Kurt wouldn't be so out of the loop.

"So good to know I'm still your favorite person," she bit out sarcastically. Blaine and Kurt looked at each other and rolled their eyes, both tired of her antics.

"Look, I'm actually calling because of a serious matter. Can you take off work tomorrow? We have to start the divorce proceedings as soon as possible."

"Thanks for the short notice. I'm sure all of the lawyers in New York are waiting by their phones at eight for last minute divorce cases." There was a pause on the other end, as if she wasn't sure what to do now that her error had been pointed out. They heard the phone drop to a table, as if she had set it down to find something. It was nice and quiet for a few moments, but then another voice came on the line.

"Okay, Blaine," Michael Anderson said rather calmly "unfortunately, it would appear that the meeting will have to be postponed due to your incompetence to actually get a lawyer. No doubt you're too busy with that…that _person_ to do anything productive." Blaine ran his fingrs through his hair anxiously as his father spoke.

"You don't have any right to talk to me like that, or to even talk about Kurt, so why don't you just stop right there. And there's no way in hell Cassidy already has a lawyer: she's the most flighty person I know, which goes right along with her procrastination skills that would put a high-school student to shame." His dad's condescending laugh rang out from the speaker, sending a shudder down Blaine's spine.

"Didn't she tell you? I'm her lawyer." Blaine gaped, wide-eyed and open-mouthed. Just as he was about to say exactly what he thought of his father, a new voice sounded from the background.

"Are you talking to Daddy?" Valerie asked sweetly. Both Blaine and Kurt smiled at the little girl's innocent voice.

"Of course not, Valerie. I'm just arguing with someone. Go back to your mother, okay?" Blaine gripped the phone tighter, furious that his own father would lie to his daughter about who he was talking to.

"But you are! I heard you say his _real_ name, and you only ever talk to him like that. Please let me talk to him, please? I wanna know why Momma picked me up from school today instead of him, 'cause he always gets me on Mondays." At this point, Kurt had to loosen Blaine's fingers, as the tips and knuckles had gone bone white. Michael Anderson sighed; he had no choice but to let them talk.

"Hi, Daddy," her bubbly voice chirped. The scowl instantly melted off of Blaine's face and was replaced with a huge grin.

"Hey, sweetheart. How was school?" The line fell silent, save for the crackles that were all but nonexistent when they spoke.

"Why didn't you come pick me up today? You _always_ come to get me on Mondays. I didn't like it when Momma came. She doesn't take me to go get ice cream like you do." Her voice shook as if she was on the verge of tears. "Didn't you want to see me?"

"Of course I wanted to, sweetheart! But, for now, I can only come see you if your mom allows it. At least until we get things settled. Trust me, Kurt and I want nothing more than for you to stay here with us. Okay?" He looked over to assure that the statement was true and was met with an eager smile and nod.

"I'd rather be there, too. Momma's always either angry or sad now, and so is Grandpa. But he's mostly angry. Can't I come over tonight, please?" Kurt nodded quickly as he mouthed 'yes'.

"Of course you can. Just check with your mom, okay?" The phone was set gently back down, but they could still hear what was going on. Apparently, everyone had been congregated in the same room.

"I want to go over to Daddy's and Kurt's, Momma. Please, can't I go?" Michael didn't give her a moment to answer before he cut in.

"No. Absolutely not. And anyways, your father and Kurt," he said their names with a sneer "probably want time to themselves."

"You're lying! And anyways, I asked Momma. I knew that you'd say no, because you don't like Daddy and Kurt together. And I know that they want me over there. They told me so. So please, Momma, can't I go?" Both Blaine and Kurt had to bite their lips in order to keep from laughing at the little girl's incensed speech.

"Please come get Valerie," Cassidy asked as she picked up the phone. "She'll hate me even more if you don't."

XXXXX

Fifteen minutes later, Blaine was knocking on Cassidy's door. The door unlatched, and Valerie came bounding out, her long dark curls flying behind her. He gathered her up in his arms and held her close to his chest as he stood up. Cassidy leaned against the door frame, holding her elbows tight against her.

"I guess she can stay with you for the night, so long as you take her to school tomorrow morning, then you and I can decide who picks her up." Blaine smiled and nodded, trying not to show surprise at her geniality. "And Michael wants to have the meeting either Wednesday or Thursday, so can you get a lawyer before then," she added softly.

"Yeah, that will be fine. Thanks again, for this." She nodded and softly shut the door.


	10. Bite My Tongue

"You're coming to my school's play on Friday, aren't you, Day?" Valerie asked sweetly as she hugged her small bag closer to her chest. She and Blaine were in a taxi, riding together on the way to her school. The previous two nights had seemed even better than the first, with Kurt and his daughter getting along even better than Blaine had ever dared hope.

"Of course I am," he assured her. "What, did you think there was anything in the world that would be worth more than seeing you be the best little flower on stage?" He gave her curly ponytail a gentle tug to emphasize his point.

"Daddy, you shouldn't pull my ponytail. Kurt spent a lot of time on it this morning and I don't even want to know what would happen to you if you messed it up." Blaine held his hands in the air in surrender.

"You're right; I'm sure he'd be horrified at my carelessness. Think we could keep it between us?" She giggled at his mock seriousness and nodded. They pulled up beside the school, and Valerie glared at the building as if it had done her a personal injustice.

"Do I have to go, Daddy" she asked, a hint of a whine in her small voice. "Can't I just stay at the apartment with you and Kurt?" Blaine slowly shook his head and gave her a small, sad smile.

"I'm sorry sweetheart, but you know you have to go to school. And if you don't go, then that means Aunt Rachel won't be able to pick you up, and I'm pretty sure she has tons of fun planned for the two of you this afternoon." Valerie smiled before unbuckling her seatbelt to hug him. Before opening the door, she turned back to him.

"You're gonna make sure Kurt comes on Friday, right?" Blaine chuckled and nodded.

"Who else would I bring. And yes, I will. Val, you've asked me three times on the way over here _and_ you asked Kurt before we left. What's up?" She looked down to her little folded hands in her lap before answering in an even tinier voice.

"Well, I just wanted to make sure somebody was coming." She sniffed quietly, and a tiny tear ran in a tell tale track down her cheek. Blaine pulled her over onto his lap and slowly stroked the ends of her hair, studiously ignoring the irritated driver.

"Sweetheart. What's the matter," she soothed. She turned her small face towards his chest and paused before answering.

"It…it's just that Momma hasn't said anything about coming to see it since I told her, and I'm sure Grandpa isn't going to either. And if they don't, then I at least want you and Kurt to be there." Blaine gritted his teeth at the thought of Cassidy not showing up for her performance, even though everyone who had been within a ten foot radius of Valerie knew how excited she was about her first time on stage.

"I'm sure she'll be there," he assured. "And so will your grandfather. After all, he stays in Ohio for most of the year, so he'll want to see you in something as special as this, okay?" She let out a low whimper and looked up at him with shining blue eyes.

"Are you sure?" she asked pitifully. Blaine smiled and gave her a terse nod.

"I certainly hope so. And even if they don't come, just remember that Kurt and I will, and that we'll both have eyes for just you, okay?" she smiled and hugged him tight. He opened the car door and stepped out with her before walking her up the steps and to the classroom, just like he had done almost every other day before.

He took the cab back home, much to the driver's dismay, and smiled when he saw Kurt already ready to go and lying on the couch, zoning out while absentmindedly channel flipping. Blaine smiled and snuck up behind him, placing a well aimed kiss to the skin below his hear. Kurt gasped and turned around, smirking when he saw Blaine's teasing smile.

"I've been sitting here waiting for you to get back so we can go to a meeting with lawyers and your ex, a meeting which is probably not going to go well, and you have to kiss me _there_ knowing full well we don't have time to do anything? Thanks Blaine." Blaine rolled his eyes and moved to sit beside him.

"You make me sound so cruel. And anyways," he added while inching closer. "I'm sure there has to be time for _something_." Kurt didn't even have time for any kind of witty remark before Blaine's mouth was on his. He gasped again as Blaine's tongue swept across his lower lip, leaving the perfect opportunity for the other man's tongue to slip into his mouth. Just as Kurt wrapped his legs around Blaine's waist, Blaine pulled away with a teasing smile.

"You know what? I think you were right about that time thing. Such a shame." Kurt pushed him playfully in the chest and sighed.

"You have to be the cruelest man I have ever met, Blaine Anderson. You _so_ owe me later." Blaine kissed him quickly, smiling against his mouth. They both moved towards the door, the full impact of what today meant for them hitting with its full impact. Only in his best daydreams did Kurt believe that this would happen for him and Blaine. Before they could take another step, Blaine pinned Kurt to the wall and kissed him fiercely, but only for a moment.

"Too bad later can't be now, isn't it?" Kurt nodded and swallowed despite the dryness in his mouth. He grabbed Blaine's hand and twined their fingers together before stepping out.

"C'mon, lover boy. Let's go before we get into indecent public behavior."

~.~.~.~

The ride to Gotham Coffee House was long and plagued with thick silence. They weren't mad with each other, of course not. What waited for them on the other end of this cab ride did. Blaine's lawyer, Francesca Holmes, had agreed to meet them there, even though it was on such short notice. Kurt looked over at Blaine and squeezed his hand reassuringly. Blaine looked over and met his eyes, a faint smile lighting across his face.

"Hey," Kurt assured "everything is going to be okay, I promise." Blaine nodded and kissed him just as the cab pulled up to the curb. Francesca stood outside of the café, dressed in a dark shirt and skirt and typing away on her phone. She smiled when they stepped out and walked towards the door.

"Oh good, you two are on time at least. Um, Cassidy and her lawyer aren't here yet, so we can go inside and discuss what exactly we're going to do a bit further." The trio went and sat down at a corner booth, watching the door anxiously for any sign of Cassidy's arrival. Francesca drummed her immaculate red nails against the wooden table to draw the couple's attention back to the issue at hand.

"So, Blaine, what exactly is the biggest issue in this divorce? Not why, but what is going to be the thing that's going to cause the biggest fight in court. I find that it's better to state upfront these things in the initial meeting."

"Honestly, the only thing I actually care about right now is my daughter, Valerie. I don't care if Cassidy keeps the house or anything else. I've already removed all of my personal effects, so all that's left is who is awarded custody of our daughter." Kurt placed his hand on Blaine's knee and when he felt his leg begin to bob, a now clear sign of his anxiety. Blaine stilled immediately and flashed him a thankful smile.

"You want full custody, correct?" Blaine nodded.

"I mean, I don't want to keep Valerie away from her mother, because I know that she wouldn't want that, and it would be the wrong thing to do both of them. No matter what my qualms with Cassidy are, they aren't worth damaging their relationship. But yes, I do want Valerie to live with me." Francesca nodded, her lips pursed in thought.

"And your partner here is completely in agreement with this proposed ideal arrangement, I assume?"

"Of course I am," Kurt interjected. "I doubt Blaine would be able to really be with anyone who didn't love her as much as he does. I would love it if Valerie could come live with us permanently."

Cassidy's laugh rang out beside their table. They had been too engrossed in the conversation to pay attention to anything else.

"Oh, you two are hilarious. Or delusional if you think I'm giving up Valerie to you, Blaine." The waiter pulled two extra chairs up to accommodate Cassidy and Michael.

This was going to be fun.


End file.
